1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a method of manufacturing ultrafine particles of a compound by utilizing a spontaneous alloying phenomenon which characteristically produces ultrafine particles of several nm in particle diameter.
Employing an essentially low temperature process, it is possible to efficiently obtain ultrafine particles of a compound whose diameter and composition are precisely controlled. The present invention thus provides ultrafine particles of a compound which are usable as a photocatalyst, a semiconductor, and a superconductive material, such as CdSe, AuZn, AuSb.sub.2, InSb, GaAs, AlSb, ZnSe, AuPb.sub.2, Au.sub.2 Pb, CdS, SiNi, Si.sub.2 Ni and the like, which use value is very high.
2. Description of the Related Art
Ultrafine particles of about several nm in diameter have hitherto been manufactured by using various chemical and physical means at present. For example, a plasma CVD method belonging to the former includes decomposing the bond of a compound in a reactive gas by thermal plasma to form active atoms and molecules, and synthesizing ultrafine particles of a desired compound by their reaction. Moreover, a laser abrasion method belonging to the latter includes obtaining ultrafine particles by instantly vaporizing a solid target by laser irradiation, then quenching and coagulating it.
It is generally difficult to control particle diameter and composition by these means in relation to synthesis of ultrafine particles of a compound in such processes in which an excited atom rapidly falls to a stable state.